Proposal to Include Multiple Races Student Group in State and Federal Accountability

1. Proposal to Include Multiple Races Student Group in State and Federal Accountability Dr. Jen Piver-Renna Director of Research Dr. Lynn Sodat Director of ESEA Programs

2. Defining Student Race and Ethnicity • Per federal regulation, students (or parents/guardians) are asked a two part question, for example: • Is this student Hispanic or Latino? (Yes or No) • What is this student’s race? (American Indian or Alaskan Native; Asian; Black or African American; Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; White) • Hispanic students are counted in the Hispanic student group only • Students of one race are counted in a single race group • Students of multiple races are counted in an aggregate “two or more races” group

3. Race and Ethnicity in Accountability • All major racial and ethnic student groups should be included in state and federal accountability, but threshold is state-defined • VDOE-defined threshold is currently 5 percent or more of annual student enrollment

4. Reporting Groups in State Accreditation • Achievement gap indicators in English (reading and writing) and mathematics: • Asian students • Black students • Hispanic students • White students • Economically disadvantaged students • English learner students • Students with disabilities • Reporting group performance levels are assigned based on each group’s performance compared to the state benchmark • Decision rules are applied to determine the overall performance level for the indicator

5. Reporting Groups in Federal Accountability • Reading, mathematics, chronic absenteeism, and graduation indicators: • Asian students • Black students • Hispanic students • White students • Economically disadvantaged students • English learner students • Students with disabilities • Short-term annual targets and long-term goals are established for each reporting group on each indicator • Schools that do not meet reporting group targets are more likely to be identified for targeted support and intervention

6. Students of Multiple Races • Students who identify as more than one race are not included in any racial group in state or federal accountability but are included in the “all students” group • In 2018-19, 5.7 percent of Virginia students identified as more than one race • Since 2014-15, the number of Virginia students identifying as multiple races has increased by 16 percent (approximately 10,000 more students) • 39 of 52 states/territories (75 percent) include a multiple races student group in their accountability systems

7. Annual Reading Pass Rates for Major Race and Ethnic Student Groups in Virginia

8. Annual Mathematics Pass Rates for Major Race and Ethnic Student Groups in Virginia

9. Proposal • Students identifying as more than one race will be added to state and federal accountability as the “Multiple Races” student group beginning in the 2019-2020 school year • For state accreditation: • Rules to calculate and apply performance levels to the achievement gap indicators will remain the same • For federal accountability: • New targets for the Multiple Races student group will be developed using the same methodology as other student groups

10. Next Steps • State accreditation: • First review to the Board of Education in March 2019 • Solicit additional stakeholder feedback • Final review to Board of Education in April 2019 • Federal accountability: • First review of amendment to the Board of Education in June 2019 • Solicit public comment • Final review of amendment to the Board of Education in July 2019 • Submit amendment to USED for approval